1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to paper shredders and, more particularly, to apparatus and methods for clearing jams in paper shredders.
2. Background Art
A shredder inlet has an opening and a throat, formed from at least two throat blades. The inlet receives the material to be shredded and the throat blades direct that material to the shredder blades. The shredder blades convert the material into shreddant, i.e., shredded material. In a typical shredder, the throat blades are fixed, and may be rigid, to prevent fingers and unacceptable items from being pushed into contact with the shredder blades. Some throat blades do not lead to the shredder blades in a straight line, but are disposed at an angle from the opening to further impede the progress of fingers and unacceptable items towards the shredder blades. Typically, a throat has a predetermined opening, that is, the throat blades are spaced apart such that a predetermined mass of material, usually measured in sheets of paper, can successfully be comminuted (shredded). For example, a throat may be about 4 mm wide, to accommodate 6 standard sheets of paper. Exceeding the predetermined mass of material being introduced into a throat can cause a “jam,” in which the mass of shredding material being comminuted exceeds the shredder's capability and a wad of partly-shredded material is lodged in the entrance to the shredder blades, causing the shredder motor to momentarily fail. At present, many shredders provide no solution for jams other than to have the user remove the cover of the shredder, which contains the opening and the throat, and expose the jam—and more importantly—the shredder blades. In this case, the user must pull the partially shredded wad from the jaws of the blades, exposing the user to receiving cuts from the blades.